Power system and pump.



J. WILKINSON.

POWER SYSTEM AND PUMP.

APPLICATION FLLED JAN. 14. 1914.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

Inventor-I James Wilkinson,

\ eras narrate oriai n.

JAMES WILKINSON, or sonEnnc'rnioY, new YORK, assrenonro ennnnar. ntncrrnio' ooiurnivr, A conronariozu or NEW YORK.

rowan SYSTEM AND ruiur.

Patented a as, rare.

Application filed January 14, 1914. Serial No. 812,140.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJnrrnsWrnninson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Systems and Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

vly invention relates to power. systemsand pumps, and more especially to internal combustion pumps in which the products of COH'lbLlStlOn act directly on the liquid, The aim of my invention is to provide a simple and economical power system and an, of

ficientand reliable pump. Various other advantages that can be secured in connection with my invention will hereinafter become apparent, and its scope will be. indicated in my claims.

in accordance with my invention, 1 arrange that the pump shall supply liquid for the operation of a turbine, impulse wheel, or other type of prime mover. This can, I find, be done to the best advantage when some means such as an accumulator is provided for steadying the pressure and supply of liquid from the pump to theprlme mover.

It is also of advantage th'atthe liquid discharged from the prime mover should be re turned to the intake of the pump for re use,especially when av relatively heavy liquid such as l contemplate using is employed.

The use of a dense liquid is of advantage in allowing high operating speeds for the pump, and it also permits the systemto be made more compact when a head of the liquid is relied on to bring about the compression needed for the most efficient operation of the pump. i'

T have hereinafter shown and described a power system and a pump constructed in accordance with my invention in which mercury' is pumped and used to operate the prime mover. This apparatus is adapted to the :use of almost any fuel,as producer gas, gasolene, or other gas or vapor; crude oil or other liquid; or coal dust or other solid fuel, etc. While, however, the form of apparatus shown and described is the best at present known to me, and While my invention extends to this form and to its specilic features and details of operation and construction and its various novel combinations and arrangements of parts, yet my inventionis not confined thereto, nor to the use of mercury, but can be carried out in other. ways by means of other and lighterliquids,-including water, for example. ln'the accompanying drawingaFigure l is a sectional view of a pumping system and a pump constructed in accordance withiny invention, various parts of the apparatus being broken away to bring the whole coni "eniently within the limits of the paper,

and various parts being shown more or less diagrammatically. I Fig. 2 is a detailed view ofthe cam and associated means for operating the inlet and exhaust valves; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the cam'and associated means for operating the intake and discharge valves, and Fig. l is a detailed view ofa commutator or switch. for controlling the circuit of the motor which drives the cam shaft.

The system shown in the drawing comprises an internal combustion pump 1 which receives mercury. or other liquid from a reservoir or source 2 through a conduit 8 and discharges the same through a conduit 4 into an accumulator 5 that affords both liquid storage and air cushion space. As shown, there is a valve-controlled passage 6 leading from the upper end of the accumulator chamber 5 through which air may be introduced or drawn 0d. From the accumeans 8 under the control of a speed governor 9 driven from the motor shaft. The wheel of the prime mover 7 is arranged in a suitably closed casing preferably forming a part of the reservoir 2, so thatthe mercury discharged from it is directly returned to. the pump 1. As it is intendedjthat in this pump the necessary compression of the air, fuel, or both shall be broughtabout by the supply of mercury, the reservoir 2 is arranged at a height above the pump suffi'cient to afford an adequate head for this purpose. surrounds the pump delivery conduit 4; but it will be understood that this arrangement is-not essentiah v y From Fig. 1 it will be seenthat the work-' ing chamber 10 ofthepump 1 is contained in anupright cylindrical casing, and that there are inlet meansll for the introduction of operating fluid comprising air and fuel, exhaust means 12 for the discharge of mulator 5 mercury is supplied to a prime burned products of combustion, and mercury intake and discharge means 13 and 14; connected respectively with the return conduit 3"-and the delivery conduit 4. Although under suitable conditions the combustion or explosion in the working chamber 10 can be brought about asa result of compression of the operating fluid therein, this particu lar pump has electric ignition means 15 at the upper end of said chamber 10 for producing or insuring ignition I at the proper "time. in this pun1p, also, the air and fuel inlet .means .11, the exhaustmeans 12, and the mercury lnt'ake and discharge means 13 inner passage or tube within'this structure 16 that extends nearly to its lower endand therecommunicates with air and fuel ports passage formed by the tube and the wall of .17 in its wall, while the exhaust means 12 comprises the upper portion of the annular the structure 16 and opens into the upper end of'the'working chamber 10 through exhaust ports 18 in said wall. 111 like manner, the mercury delivery means let comprises an inner passage or tube (in efiect an upward extension of the return conduit 3) that extends a shortdistance above the bottom of the chamber 10 and there communicates with ts interior through discharge ports 19,

I and the mercury intake means 13 comprises theannular passage formed by said tube and the wall of the structure 16 and opens into. thechamber 10 a little above its bottom through inflow ports 20. ,To facilitate the starting of the pump after a period of inaction, the working chamber 10 is provided with aux1l1ary air and fuel lnlet means 21 opening into its upper end and with auxil lary valve controlled outlet means 22 through which any excess of liquid may be drawn off from its bottom. Preferably there will be a layer of water, oil, or other suitable liquid on top. of the mercury in the jworking chamber 10 to protect the same from oxidation or the. like.

fflhe ports 17 18, 19 and'20 and the operation of the pump are controlled by valve means of sleeve-11ke form encircling the structure 16, As shown, there are separate valves 24 and 25 for the air andv fuel inlet ports 17' and theexhaust port 18'and a common valve 26 for the. mercury intake and 7 discharge ports19 and 20. Themeans for 60 operating these valves comprises a motor -1 2.7, 'a cam shaft 28 driven thereby through gearing 29, an inlet .and exhaust cam 30,

Fig. 2, and an intake and discharge cam 31, Fig. 3, 0n the cam shaft 28, and suitable operating connections from the cam 30 to the valves 2-1 and 25 and from the cam .31 to the valve 26. In the case of the cam 30, the connections shown (Figs. 1 and 2) comprise a lever 32 having one end fulcrumed at 33 and continually urged downward by a spring 84, this lever 32 having a roller 35 for engagen'lent with the cam mounted on it near its middle, a rod pivoted to the movable end of said lever and a yoke carried thereby, and two rods 36 that extend down through stufling-boxes 37 in the top of the chamber 10 and are secured to the valves 24 and 25. In the case of the cam. 31, the connections comprise, similarly, a lever 38, connecting rods 39, and other associated parts (Fig. 3).

The ignition means 15, it will be seen, comprises suitably separated and insulated electrodes or spark points 10 connetccd by suitable wiring 4:1 to any suitable source of current 12 and to a commutator 13 of any approved type (Figs. 1 and 4) whose rotating element is mounted on the cam shaft 28,

so as to close the circuit and cause the passage of a spark between the points 40 at the proper time.

lVhile various modes of operation and regulation may be adopted, it is preferable to meet the varying demands of the prime mover 7 for mercury by intermittent constant speed operation of the pump 1 for varying periods at varying intervals rather than by continuous operation thereof at varying speed,-making the accumulator 5 of conveniently large capacity for this purpose. As this requires the valve operating motor 27 to operate at substantially constant speed and also requires the valve operating means to be put out of action from time to time and vice versa, it is advantageous for said motor 27 to'be a constant speed elec- 'tric motor. Such an electric motor can be arbitrarily controlled by any approved form of hand switch in its current supply circuit 51 and it can in addition he automatically controlled by means 52 responsive to the demand on the pump 1 which when said hand switch 50 is closed (as shown) will act to open and close its said supply circuit 51 as the demand varies, so that the pump will be started, and stopped as occasion requires. The demand responsive means 52 shown comprises a switch 53 in said circuit 51, a cylinder 54: opening into the air space at the upper end of the accumulator chamber 5, a piston 55 in said cylinder connected with the movable part of the switch, and a helical spring'56 between the piston and a screw plug 57 in the upper end of the cylinder that tends to force the piston 55 down and close the switch whenever the air pressure in the accumulator chamber (and therefore the effective pressure of the mercury therein) falls sufiiciently low to permit it to do so. Accumulation of air above the ing the opening which passes the rod connecting said P181011 piston "55 to such an extent as to interfere with this action. maybe prevented by makin the plug 57 through the. exigencies of operation ordinarily oc curring. in a more or less satisfactory manner, a little cons deration will-make'lt evident that under .the action of ust'such means alone the pump l WOllld be liable to stop with both the exhaust portslS and 'the mercury inflow ports 20 open, so as to allow the working chamber to become completely filled with mercury, etc., or 1n some other condition more or less unfavorable for restarting. This. difiiculty can be got over, however, by arranging that such means and. 52 shall when necessary be temporarily rendered ineffective, so that the valve operatn means COlIiPl'lSlllg the motor 27 will never be put out of action except when the pump 1 is in. some definite favorable condition. As shown, th s 1s accompllshed by means oii'an additional orfauxiliary current supply circuit 60 for the motor 27 arranged in parallel-with the main circuit 51 and having in it a commutator 61 whose rotating part or disk 62 (Fig. l) is mounted on the cam shaft 28; The commutator disk 62 is of conductive material but has in its periphery a short non-conductive segment 63; and wlien' the main circuit is opened by either the hand switch 50 or the automatic switch 53 thecurrent supplied by the auxiliary circuita6O will run the valve operating motor 27 until the commutator brushes, 64L come upon this segment. As shown, the commutatorbl is so set that the pump 1 will always stop at theend of a working stroke with the ports 17, 18, 19

'and. 20 all closed and a fresh charge of air and fuel in the working chamber 10 ready to be com1: ressed, -this being the condition most favorable for restarting.

.- it will be observed that the prolonging of the operation of the pump resulting from a the auxiliary currentsupply tends to reduce the number of times it will be automatically started and stopped on light loads, since it will. cause the air pressure in the accumulator chamber 5 to be above that at which the automatic switch 53 will. close when the pump 1 stops.

1 will now descrlbe a cycle of operation of the pump: a a

The pump 1 is shown in the condition above described in which it is left when stopped through the action of the automatic control means 52 as modified by the auxiliary current supply circuit 60. Supposing, now, that the pressure falls in theaccumuthe motor ,27,flthe first thing that will be the raising of the valve 26 to open be able to produce.

highest compression,

. cury.

lator. 5- sufficiently to'cause the starting of the mercury inflow .ports- 20. Under the head inthe reservoir 2, themercury Wlll 'rise in the working chamber 10 and comthe press the charge of an and fuel therein, momentum acquired by ,the mercury in the return conduit 3 during the first part of this action causing a somewhat greater compression than the hydrostatic'head would alone About as the mercury reaches its highest level in the working chamber 10 and he charge reaches. its the ignition commutator 43 will close the ignition circuit 41 and cause the ignition of "the charge; and" at about the same time lowered so as to close the mercury intake ports '20 and open the mercury discharge port Q19. The expansion of 'theprolducts of combustion will force the mercury down in the working chamber 10 and out through the delivery conduit 4: into the accumulatcn: 5, the momentum acquired by the mercury during the first part of this movement acting to prolong it beyond the extent to which the mere pressure of the products of combustion would be able to carry it. the mercury reaches its lowest level in the working chamber 10v (belowthe fuel inlet ports 17 the valves 24 and25 will be raised so as to} uncover the exhaust ports 18 and the air and fuel inletports 17 and the valve 26 'will be raised soas to cover the merdischarge ports 19., Thereupon the spent products of combustionwill pass out through the exhaust ports 18 atthe upper end of the working chamber 10 and will. be displaced by air and. fuel entering at the same time through the inlet ports 17 near the lower end a of said chamber,-the air and fuel thus exerting; a, scavenging action,-

happens the valve 26 will be Aboutas afterwhich the; valves 24 and 25 will be lowered to close theexhaustports 1 8 and the inlet ports 17. Thus one cycle of operation will becompleted, and the pump will be restored to its initial condition. If the pressure in the accumulator 5 has been sufiiciently raised to open the automatic switch 58, the pump will now stop; otherwise itwill operate for one or more additional cycles.

In the latter case the stationary dwell ofthe anyway-,- it-mayin restartil'ig be necessary 7 to draw off some mercury through the outlet 2201" to force in afresh andperhaps specially rich charge throughthe auxiliary inlet 21, or both.- Ordinarily, of course, such measures will only be necessary when the pump is started ,up after having been stoppedby ineansof the hand switch 50,-or

I 'asthe result offa-ilure of the airand fuel supply, theignition current, or the current 'scription, it being only necessary to remark that with the pump 1 shown theaccumulator eshoul'd be made of sufficient capacity to take' care of the considerable irregularity in itsoutput arising fromthe fact that it delivers only on its strokes in one direction. Inaccordance WltlL-lllG provisions of the.

I patent statutes, I-jhave describedthe prinp by Letters Patent of crple of operation of my invention, together With-'the'apparatus which I now consider to represent thebestembodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the inventionfcan be carried out by other means 'Within the scope of the appended claims;

What I claim'as new'and desire to secure the United States, is:

1'. An internal combustion pump comprising a. Working chamber in which the prodnets of combustion act directly on the liquid having means for the introduction of the constituents-of a combustible charge, for exhaust of spent products of combustion, and for the intake and discharge of fluid; an accumulator containing elastic fiuld under pressure and recelvlng the hquid pumped and servingto steady the pressure and flow thereof; andimeans' responsive to v the pressure'of fluid n the accumulator for starting and stopping the pump. 2. An internalcombustion pump comprising a Working chamber having means for the copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

- ing a Working chamber having means for the introduction of the constituents of a combustible charge, for the exhaust of spent products of combustion, and for the intake and discharge of liquid; valve means for controlling the operation of the pump; a motor for operating said valve means; and means responsive to the demand on the pump for controlling the supply of power to said motor.

4. An internal combustion pump comprising a Working chamber having means for the introduction of the constituents of a combustible charge, for the exhaust of spent products of combustion, and for the intake and discharge of liquid; valve means for controlling the operation of the pump; a constant speed electric motor for operating said valve means; a main current supply circuit for said motor and means responsive to the demand on the pump for opening and closing it; and an auxiliary current supply circuit for said motor including circuit opening means controlled in unison With the operation of the pump so as to insure stopping of the pump in a definite condition when said main circuit is opened.

, In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of January 1914.

JAMES WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

HELEN ORFoRD, MARGARET E. WOOLLEY.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

